


Like Grapevines

by Librarian_Alexandria



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - No Demigods (Percy Jackson), Alternate Universe - No Powers, M/M, Slow Burn, Vineyard AU?, delinquent percy, idk the di Angelos have a vineyard, nico has daddy issues but what's new, yeah let's go with High School AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2020-06-26
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:00:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24877342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Librarian_Alexandria/pseuds/Librarian_Alexandria
Summary: Nico di Angelo's favourite place to sulk is in between the grapes on his father's vineyard. Percy's just trying to complete his community service. When Percy's hours are complete, though, Nico has no idea how to find him again.
Relationships: Nico di Angelo/Percy Jackson
Comments: 7
Kudos: 80





	1. First Impressions

Nico hated his dad. They’d fought, again, and obviously it had spiralled out of control, like always. He couldn’t even remember what they’d been arguing about. Something stupid, probably, like leaving the cap off the milk. Or leaving the milk out. Or forgetting to replace it once it was finished. Or putting it back in the fridge empty. There were a lot of arguments about the milk, come to think of it.  
He stormed down the driveway, ducking under the fence.  
He hated the stupid vineyard too. Di Angelo Vineyard, pride and joy of the family.  
Unlike me, he thought, and immediately felt like the most stereotypical teenage boy in the world.

He was still stewing in his typical teen angst when a voice called out from between the trellises.  
“Hey, you can’t smoke here, it’s like, bad for the grapes or something.”  
Nico looked up, and scoffed.  
“Who told you that?”  
There was a tall boy with black hair standing in front of him, looking simultaneously nervous and smug. When he didn’t answer, Nico cut in.  
“Are you new?”  
The boy shrugged.  
“I’m doing community service,” he said.  
Nico raised his brows.  
Since when did the vineyard have a community service program?  
“Whatever. I don’t work here,” Nico said, hoping he’d leave him alone.  
Instead, the other kid remained completely oblivious.  
“You’re trespassing? I’m pretty sure I could get in trouble for that..”  
Nico tried not to roll his eyes. No, that’s a lie, he didn’t try, at all.  
“I don’t work here because I live here. Nico di Angelo, my dad owns this place.”  
“Oh. Oh! I still don’t think you can smoke here though,” the boy replied sheepishly.  
“And I’m pretty sure teen delinquents have a curfew. It’s like, midnight, dude, you’re in more trouble than I am,” Nico scoffed, flicking his cigarette and ashing on the roots of the grapevines.  
“I’m Percy. I won’t tell if you don’t?” He offered, sitting down next to him.

"What'd you do to get community service?" Nico asked, after offering Percy a cigarette which he refused. Now that he was closer, Nico could see his eyes. They were sea green, which he was immediately jealous of.  
Sure, jealousy, that's what it is, he could practically hear his best friend's voice in his head, right down the sarcastic tone.  
The other boy shrugged. He did that a lot.  
"You know, the usual," he said, as if Nico should know what "the usual" was. Grafitti?  
Nico nodded as if he understood anyway, but his curiosity got the better of him not two seconds later.  
"No, I don't know," he said, hoping that Percy wouldn't think he was rude. Not that he cared, or anything. He just met the guy, he didn't care what Percy thought about him.  
Percy just sighed.  
"Stuff with my stepdad."  
Nico just looked at him. If he kept quiet long enough, maybe he'd continue on his own.  
Percy cleared his throat.  
"Him and his poker buddies just piss me off sometimes, and it just builds up, you know?"  
Oh, he knew. The number of times he wanted to punch his dad increased every week.  
I would never actually do it though, he thought, surprising himself.  
"And last time it just..." Percy trailed off.  
"I don't know why I'm telling you this," he said, shaking his head, but he carried on anyway, decidedly not looking at Nico.  
"I stole his car and drove it into a lake."  
Nico couldn't help the laugh that escaped him. Percy's uncertain looks melted into a small grin. At least he wasn't offended.  
"Sorry, I just wasn't expecting..."  
"No, no I get it." Percy was properly smiling now, still not meeting Nico's eyes though.  
"It's your turn now," he said when he finally looked up.  
"Huh?"  
"Now _you_ tell me why _you're_ here."  
It certainly was Nico's turn—to avoid both eye contact and the question.  
"I live here."  
Percy made a sound, of annoyance, it seemed.  
"C'mon, I spilled my super tragic backstory, now you," he said, nudging Nico with his elbow.  
Nico lit another cigarette. Usually, he was more sparing with them, both because of the health factor and the whole underage thing. Only two more years, though, he thought, ignoring Percy's eye's burning holes in the side of his face.  
"Fighting with my dad, I guess," he looked down at his feet, feeling his face burn. He felt like a kid again, crying because his Papa yelled at him.  
"It's always something stupid, and then it just gets so personal and I always take it too far!"  
Percy didn't say anything.  
Really? Using my own tactic against me, he thought, as he took a drag.  
"He never takes my problems seriously until it's too late, so every time he brings something up I feel like I have to defend myself and bring up the past just so he'll listen to me," Nico explained. He felt angry again just thinking about it. His dad never believed him, or if he did, he didn't care enough to do anything about it.  
"It's a typical angsty teen story, you know how it is," he finished, knowing exactly how Percy felt as he avoided looking at the other boy.  
“Yeah,” Percy said. Nico didn’t appreciate the notes of pity in his tone.

The conversation was lighter after that, Nico found out Percy shared a lot of his interests, first and foremost complaining about their siblings.

("-And Bianca always has friends over, so it's not like I actually get the house to myself when he's away."  
"I know what you mean, I mean, I love my brother, but he has absolutely no boundaries. When I was younger, we used to share a room, and I think he still sees it that way," Percy complained, but his tone was lighthearted. It was sweet.)

Other than that, they seemed to watch a lot of the same movies and read the same comics. The only thing Percy was missing was a childhood obsession with Mythomagic.

It was probably 1 am when Nico’s face betrayed him and he yawned.  
“We should probably both get to bed,” Percy said, and dammit if that smile hadn’t started to feel fond.  
“Do you have to sneak in somewhere, or…?” Nico asked. He hadn’t thought about it much, but clearly Percy was staying somewhere on the property. Why else would he be here after hours? Maybe his dad had the rooms for the seasonal workers rented out?  
“Oh, don’t worry, the guys in my room left the window open for me,” Percy said.  
Nico could not stop his rising curiosity.  
“Do you have to work weekends or something? And why do you stay here instead of just going home when you’re done?”  
Percy shrugged, probably for the 12th time. Not that Nico was keeping track.  
“It’s supposed to be some kind of program, I guess. I’m going home again tomorrow, we were just doing maintenance stuff for a week or something, not the whole summer, thank god.”  
Nico frowned.  
“I had no idea my dad had a community service program,” he said.  
“Oh, it’s new, trust me. Else I would have been here before. It’s part of a charity thing, Mr. D said.”  
Nico decided he’d have to ask Bianca about it. She probably knew more about it than anyone, with her whole volunteer troupe schtick.  
“Anyway, it’s more fun than picking up trash, even if it is just painting and cleaning. It’s supposed to make us bond, being holed up together here,” Percy finished.  
Nico nodded along, and yawned again. Maybe he really was tired.  
Percy just snorted a little, and started to stand up.  
“Maybe I’ll see you next time you steal a car,” Nico said, and Percy smiled.  
“Yeah. Goodnight Nico.”  
And then he was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay i've never written fanfiction before so advice is welcome just be gentle


	2. The Sulking Period

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico mopes. Bianca does the sisterly thing and annoys him until he tells her what's wrong.

No, Nico didn’t hate his dad. He did hate himself, though, for being an idiot.  
He woke up on Sunday morning still cheery from the instant connection, when he realized that he had no way to contact Percy. Sure, he could ask Bianca what the deal was with the community service/charity program and figure out where Percy was staying while he was still on the vineyard, but what if Percy hadn’t given him his number or anything, because he didn’t want to keep in touch? God, now that would be awkward.  
Of course, he spent the entire day fighting his own anxiety about it, and by the time his confidence finally returned, it was already evening, and Percy would have been long gone.  
His bad mood managed to last until Tuesday, after he successfully managed to avoid speaking to anyone else in the house for two whole days. He was sleeping in, hopefully until the sun set again, when someone opened his door. Nico didn’t feel like moving, so he grunted “what do you want?” and hoped it wasn’t his sister.  
Silence.  
“Bianca, get out of my room,” he said, still not getting up.  
“No way nerd,” she said. This was good. If she was speaking, it meant she would leave eventually.  
“‘M not a nerd,” he muttered.  
“Dad wants us to have lunch together, he says you’ve moped enough.”  
Nico groaned, and rolled over, finally looking at Bianca.  
She grinned like a smug cat.  
“Whatever. I’ll be down for lunch if it’s so important.”  
“Oh no, you’re telling me why you’re being such a grouch. You’re putting dad in a bad mood and I need to ask him about having my friends from summer camp over,” she insisted, sitting down next to him.  
“I’ll be nice at lunch if you agree to leave me alone,” he offered. Bianca took a moment to weigh her options, apparently, because there were so many.  
“Fine. But I’m not dropping this,” she said, ruffling his hair. He yelped, and swatted her hand away. 

Lunch went fine, since Nico wasn’t really in the mood to talk, much less start another argument with his dad. So he just nodded along and answered his dad’s obligatory I’m-supposed-to-care-about-you questions, like if he had plans for the next week, or if he needed anything from the store. Bianca asked about her basically party, and, no surprise, their dad said yes. Like he always did for Bianca. 

And in typical Bianca fashion, she didn’t hold up her end of the bargain, cornering him in the kitchen when he was making coffee.  
“Come on Nico, spill the beans! You don’t get to sulk for the rest of the summer,” she pestered, poking him in the back. He tried to ignore her, but she was stubborn.  
“Nicooo…”  
“Ugh, fine! You’re a terrible sister, you know that?”  
She didn’t seem at all offended, instead, she just stared at him with her hands on her hips.  
“Did you know about the community service thing that was happening?” he asked, turning back away from her and picking up his coffee.  
“Yeah, dad told us about it ages ago. They’re doing this whole charity fundraiser and he thought it would be fitting if he organised it with Hermes, you know they’re friends,” she told him, albeit slightly confused. Nico rolled his eyes.  
“I was, um, walking through the vineyard and I met one of the guys from the program.”  
He didn’t think Bianca could physically look more smug.  
“Didn’t think bad boy was your type, you nerd.”  
“That’s not the point!” he huffed, “He was really awesome and we chatted for ages and I forgot to ask for his number before he left and now I‘m never gonna see him again!”  
It was like Bianca changed settings, from annoying sibling to Big Sister. Her whole face softened.  
“No use beating yourself up over it. Who knows, maybe he’ll come visit you! He knows you live here, right?”  
Nico nodded, taking a sip and staring glumly into the mug. Bianca ruffled his hair again, but Nico didn’t really mind.  
“Yeah, maybe he will,” he said. 

But Nico didn’t see Percy again, not ever the next few weeks, not at the fundraiser, not once throughout the remainder of the summer. He’d slipped comfortably to the back of Nico’s mind, like an attractive stranger on the subway, someone who you’d resigned yourself into forgetting. 

But unlike those pretty faces on the train, Percy’s path wasn’t quite done crossing with Nico’s.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Percy will be back soon!


	3. Introductions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico runs into an almost stranger. Percy is grateful he knows someone at his new school. Will and Jason are both awkward and endearing.

Going back to school was equal parts a relief and an annoyance. It meant he got see Will and Jason regularly again, which was nice. They always went on fancy overseas trips during the holidays, leaving Nico to fend for himself.  
And he was a Junior now, which still felt like a faraway dream. This year, he was going to relax more, stop worrying so much about what his classmates thought of him, and actually have fun. He was also going to stop pining for a relationship, he decided. There would be plenty of time for dating in college, or something, he thought. 

His plans were completely shattered the moment he went to put his books away. A few lockers down from his own, was the same tall, dark-haired, green-eyed boy from the summer night in the vineyard.  
“Percy?”  
He looked up, and his face split into a huge grin. Nico tried to ignore the way it tugged at his heartstrings.  
“Nico, hey! God, I’m so glad I know someone here, you’re gonna have to save when lunch rolls around,” he joked, walking towards Nico.  
This stupid blush can go to hell, he thought, trying not to look Percy in the eye. It was a common theme between them, he noticed.  
“Uh-”  
Perfectly timed as always, Will spotted him.  
“Neeks! I have to tell you about Croatia, my dad got the most wicked sunburn,” he half-shouted, appearing behind Percy’s shoulder. As he rounded the taller boy, he did a double-take.  
“Who’s the eye candy, Neeks?”  
Nico gave him a playful shove, but not without noticing Percy’s flushed face. It was nice to see him flustered, for once.  
“Neeks?” Percy questioned, brows raised.  
“Will, Percy, Percy, Will.”  
“Hiya,” Will said, leaning against Nico.  
Percy just did that typical jock thing where he tilted his chin up like some weird silent ‘Sup. Nico was immediately annoyed at how endearing he found it.  
“I need to borrow him for a sec, if that’s okay?” Will asked, already pulling Nico away.  
“You better come find me at lunch!” Percy yelled after then, still smiling. Nico couldn’t help but smile back. 

“Jason you will not believe what Nico’s managed to snag already!”  
Will all but dragged Nico to Jason’s locker, grinning the whole time.  
“Hello, Will, it’s nice to see you again too,” Jason said, chuckling. Will rolled his eyes.  
I must be rubbing off on him, Nico thought.  
“He’s been here for less than an hour and already managed to score a lunch date with the hottest new guy,” Will said, and Nico could feel his blush creeping back. He might as well start matching it with his outfits, at this point.  
“It’s not a date, he just needs a table to sit at!” he squawked.  
Jason turned to him now.  
“Hello, Nico, my summer was great, I’m so glad you asked”  
“Yeah, yeah, we get it Jace, you’re straight, just appreciate that Nico was talking to someone who wasn’t us!”  
“Where’d you go on vacation, Jason?” Nico asked, purely to piss off Will.  
“My dad took me to Italy this time, but I think it was just so he wouldn’t be stuck with Hera while Thals was at summer camp. You know, I’m pretty sure she saw your sister there too,” Jason said, fully changing into rambling mode.  
Will pouted the entire time, but once Jason got started there was no way to stop him. The only relief came when the bell rang, and they had to get to class. Not that the first day had anything important, but Nico’s head was still swimming in thoughts about Percy. Did he know Nico went here? Did he genuinely want to see Nico again or was he trying not to be awkward? 

And then it was lunchtime. And Percy was at his locker. And he was running his hand through his hair and he was leaning against the wall and Nico practically short-circuited.  
“Nico, introduce us properly to your new friend,” Will said from behind him, drawing Percy’s attention.  
“Uh, Percy this is Will, this Jason, guys, this is Percy, he’s new.” Nico stopped and frowned. “You are new, right? We haven’t just ignored each other for two years, right?”  
Percy laughed at that, visibly relaxing.  
“No, I’m new. Hopefully, I’ll make it to senior year at this one, but no promises,” he joked, glancing between Nico and his two blond friends.  
“I’m Percy, like Nico said. I met him during the summer but we didn’t really keep in touch.”  
He rubbed his neck sheepishly.  
Jason stuck his hand out cordially, and Percy tried to fist bump him. It was incredibly awkward, but Will saved it by somehow managing to intercept Percy’s fist bump and redirect Jason’s handshake. Nico was almost impressed.  
“I’m Will.”  
“I’m Jason.” Jason now had his hand stuffed in his pocket.  
There was a tense moment.  
“Do you wanna, uh, sit at our table?” Nico asked. Percy looked grateful, and it made Nico’s heart flutter.  
Dammit if he wasn’t crushing on the boy he’d barely met.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm absolutely going to stretch the awkwardness out because I deserve it


	4. The Calm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percy meets Nico's friends, and Will immediately teases Nico.

“So why’d you leave your last school? If that’s not too personal to ask,” Will asked, but Nico could tell he only tacked the last bit on to seem polite.  
Percy laughed.  
“You and Nico are pretty similar, you know that?”  
“Too similar,” Jason grumbled, earning himself a swat from Will.  
“I wasn’t expelled or anything, but my principal pretty much advised me to leave,” he said, looking way too cocky for someone who just admitted to being unofficially expelled.  
“Where’d you meet Nico?”  
“At the vineyard.”  
“Why were you there?”  
“I was-”  
“Jesus, Will, let him eat!” Nico interrupted, feeling embarrassed for his friend. Will could be a lot, which the blond seemed to realize as he turned bright red.  
“Sorry,” he murmured.

They chatted scatteredly throughout the break, but Nico was only half paying attention, his mind running through way too many scenarios and outcomes and ideas and-  
“My friends are having a party this weekend, if you guys wanna come?” Percy’s voice cut into his daydreaming, but he wasn’t quite sure Percy’s words were real.  
“Oh absolutely,” said Will, nodding eagerly, “Jace?”  
Jason made a noncommittal sound and Will rolled his eyes.  
“Nico?” Percy asked.  
Nico nodded dumbly. A party? With Percy’s friends? Maybe Percy really did feel bad about not coming to find me, he thought. 

When they headed back to class, Percy placed his hand on Nico’s arm. It was clearly just a way to get his attention, but it practically sent a shock down Nico’s spine.  
“I’ll text you the address if you want?”  
“Isn’t it on Friday?”  
Percy looked nervous suddenly.  
“Yeah, I mean, you might need to figure out a way to get there, or something,” he said, and Nico felt bad immediately.  
“Yeah, yeah, totally,” he said, nodding. Percy smiled.  
“So uh, you can put your number in my phone and I’ll send you the details?” he asked, and Nico took a solid ten seconds to process the phone being pressed into his hands. He typed out his number by reflex, and handed it back to Percy.  
His face felt like it was going to melt. 

Percy texted him half an hour after he got home. It was simple, just a “hey! It’s Percy!” And an emoji of a wave, followed by an address that Nico knew was relatively nearby. He could probably bribe Bianca into picking up Will and Jason and bringing them there. 

The next few days went by almost normally, with Percy sitting at their table at lunch and swapping memes and complaining about the teachers. He’d even managed to win Jason over, once they started talking about the gym.  
Once, during an impromptu arm-wrestling match between the two, Will had given Nico the most obnoxiously suggestive eyebrow raise in existence, and Nico wished the ground would swallow him up. 

“You like him! I know you’ve got the biggest crush on him, Neeks!”  
Will had invited himself over before the party, under the ruse of being helpful.  
“Shut up! I don’t even know if he’s into guys,” Nico mumbled the last part, feeling stupid. He didn’t know if Percy liked guys. He was falling for a straight guy, again!  
Will threw a pillow at him.  
“Get out of your head, Nico, that guy has major bisexual vibes, I mean, he cuffs his jeans, for crying out loud,“ Will said, and he actually had a point. Percy did tend to gush about attractive actors, male or female, with equal gusto.  
His phone pinged.  
“Percy says we need to bring cash if we want pizza,” he said, trying to change the subject. It had the opposite effect.  
“He has your number!” Will squealed. Nico rolled his eyes.  
“He just needed to send me the address, it’s nothing like that,” he said. Another pillow hit him in the face.  
“Oh please! He could have written it down, he totally asked for your number!”  
Nico shook his head, but had to fight the giddiness rising in him. Will was right, right?  
“Just get ready you dork,” he said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These chapters are super short ut what can I say I am lazy


	5. The Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Party Time!

A Native American girl with a haircut that could only be described as ‘spunky’ answered the door and immediately started talking.  
“Oh my gosh, you must be Nico, and you’re the two blonds, right? Percy hasn’t shut up about you since-”  
“Piper! Get away from my friends!”  
Percy pushed her aside, running a hand through his hair. The girl, Piper, shot him a glare.  
“Hey guys, just, uh, come in, and don’t talk to Piper, she’s a menace,” he said, ushering them in. Piper seemed to size them all up, lingering on Jason, who seemed equally interested and suddenly shy. Which is hilarious, Nico thought.  
It wasn‘t so much a party as a gathering, Nico first noticed. There were a few people standing in groups of two and three, and a bunch sprawled on the couch eating chips. In the centre of the room was a table of mismatched bowls and bags, with pretzels and Doritos and one lonely plate of baby carrots, as well as some half-empty bottles of soft drinks and spirits. It seemed… comfortable.  
“So, yeah, go ahead and mingle, if you want. We’re gonna get pizzas to share in about an hour, if you’re hungry?” Percy was rambling a bit, his hand had slowly shifted from Nico’s wrist to his hand and it was making his brain feel foggy, lingering long after Percy moved away.  
He was only really back in the real world when Jason pushed a drink into his hand. He stared at it cautiously.  
“It’s apple juice, you baby,” he said, mixing his own drink. Nico glared at him, and Jason just chuckled.  
“I’m capable of handling alcohol,” he said, feeling defensive. Jason rolled his eyes.  
“I meant it’s not cola, what with your weird soda-phobia,” he said.  
“It hurts my tongue! I have a sensitive mouth!”  
There was a snort from behind them.  
“You’re the guys from Perce’s new school?”  
It was yet another tall blond, but he looked older, probably Bianca’s age, maybe older.  
“I’m Nico, yeah,” he said, and Jason stuck out his hand, and said, “I’m Jason.”  
For once, someone actually shook his hand.  
“Luke. Weren’t there three of you earlier?”  
Nico looked around, after noticing that Will was, in fact, gone.  
“He’s probably already infiltrating some group, he’s way too social,” said Jason, gesturing to the couch, which Will was sitting in front of and already chatting animatedly with the small group sitting around him.  
“You should join him, we don’t bite,” said Luke, and they found themselves migrating to the couch.  
Where Percy is, Nico’s brain supplied unhelpfully.  
“Neeks!”  
Will pulled him down, sprawling him half over himself and half over his neighbour’s lap.  
“I still want to know why he gets to call you Neeks when I don’t.” said a voice from above him, and Nico immediately turned beet red, he could feel it. Percy stared down at him, which made him realize he was lying on Percy’s leg.  
He’s not telling you to move, said that annoyingly confident part of his brain.  
“You don’t get to call me Neeks because Will doesn’t get to either, he just does it anyway,” he said, trying desperately to seem relaxed.  
“Maybe I’ll just start doing it too, then,” retorted Percy, grinning. Someone threw a chip at him.  
“Oh my god, please stop eye-fucking,” said a girl from the couch. She was sitting on Luke’s lap, with her legs swung over Piper and her feet on the lap of a really buff Asian kid.  
“Annabeth!”  
Percy looked mortified, and it made Nico feel better about his own embarrassment.  
“She has a point, Perce,” said Luke, and Annabeth folded her arms triumphantly.  
Everyone looked really comfortable lying on top of each other, just casually draped in a tangle of legs and arms, and it made Nico feel better about his own placement. Jason was sitting awkwardly on the arm of the couch, but Piper managed to coax him into perching on the back instead, and therefore being her pillow.  
The conversation was comfortable, too, just general chatter and a few inside jokes that Nico desperately wanted context for. After they’d finished the pizzas, Piper suggested playing a game.  
“Ooh, let's play spin the bottle!” said Will, giving an entirely undeserved smirk in Nico’s direction. Maybe slightly deserved, considering Percy had started absentmindedly playing with Nico’s hair.  
“Bo-ring!” said Annabeth, and turned to the buff guy her feet were resting on.  
“Besides, Frank can’t play, Hazel would kill us.”  
The guy, Frank, nodded, but it was playful, as if the idea of ‘Hazel’ killing anyone was joke enough.  
“What about truth or dare?”  
Luke groaned, flicking Piper’s temple.  
“You guys are so childish,” he said. Both girls next to him scoffed.  
“I’m on Piper’s side if it means annoying Luke,” Annabeth said. There was an unspoken discussion consisting of several looks and nudges, and then Piper said,  
“Since Luke is so looking forward to it, he can go first. Truth or Dare?”  
They were typical at first, questions aimed to make them blush or admit to things, way too many uncomfortable licking-related dares, and in true high school fashion, lots of kissing. And then it was Percy’s turn.  
“Truth or Dare, Percy?” asked Annabeth.  
“You know I can’t say no to a dare, Annie,” he said, and Annabeth looked murderous at the nickname.  
“Oh you are so fucked,” muttered Piper gleefully. Will and Jason were both watching, neither of them having received a question yet. Jason had however been on the receiving end of Piper’s dare. He was still blushing.  
“Dare you to take a body shot off of one of your new friends,” she said, and he heard Luke whisper, “Oh that choice aspect is flat out evil, Annabeth.”  
Percy’s cheeks were slowly flushing, but he remained relatively calm, it seemed.  
“Don’t even look at me, Jackson,” Jason said, earning a laugh from Piper.  
Percy grabbed a bottle from the table behind him and placed a hand on Nico’s shoulder.  
“Um, you’re closest, and I can pretty much pour it in your collarbone without having to get up or anything,” he said, and it sounded like he was trying to convince himself and Nico at the same time.  
“Uh, yeah, that makes sense,” Nico said, his stomach practically doing flips at this point.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the most typical high school party, and I speak from experience, regrettably. In fact, we used to just call them get-togethers since there were like ten of us


	6. The Finale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percy takes a shot, and Nico shoots his shot

It wasn’t cold so much as sticky, and Percy had managed to spill it down his shirt.  
“Stop moving!”  
Nico couldn’t help but flash a nervous smile, which Percy mirrored. Though his was more of a smirk.  
Percy bent down to drink it, and Nico jerked involuntarily at the feeling of Percy’s lips brushing against his skin. His tongue licked into the hollow of Nico’s collarbone, and then he sat back upright. Percy was bright red, and Nico could feel the heat radiating off of his own face as well.  
“Nico, truth or dare,” Percy asked, still not looking away from Nico.  
“Definitely truth, “ he said, and there was a chuckle from the couch.  
“What did you think of me when we first met?”  
This seemed to capture the attention of the rest of the group.  
If it hadn’t been physically impossible, Nico assumed steam would have come out of his ears like in a kids cartoon.  
He felt a burst of confidence, and he blamed it entirely on Will.  
“I thought, who is this hot idiot and why does he think he can tell me what to do?”  
“Hot, ey? Not too bad yourself, Neeks,” Percy said, emphasizing the nickname teasingly. “What did you first think?” he asked, feeling bold.  
Percy thinks I’m attractive, his stupid brain said.  
“That’s not how the game works!” came a voice from the couch. Annabeth, again. Percy ignored her.  
“I thought, who is this hot idiot and why doesn’t he know that smoke is bad for plants,” Percy said, smirking, and then added, “bad for people too, you know.”  
Percy thinks I’m hot, his brain said, slowly making his whole head fuzzy.  
“I’m going to get something to drink,” Piper said loudly, “Jason, come with me.”  
“I think I need to go to the bathroom,” Will said, standing up, and Frank added, “I’ll show you where it is!”  
“I’m not going anywhere,“ Annabeth said stubbornly, and Luke scooped her up. She yelped.  
“Annabeth’s gonna help me refill the chips,” he said, and Nico realized suddenly that Percy’s face was very, very close to his.  
“Hey you,” Percy said, and he could practically feel the words against his skin.  
“Hey,” he whispered, and the word wasn’t even fully said when he felt Percy’s lips against his. The kiss was gentle, cautious, until Nico pressed forward enthusiastically, and Percy wrapped his hand around Nico’s neck. He let his own hand slide into Percy’s hair, feeling like he could float away at any moment.  
They pulled apart, and Nico could barely breathe.  
“This okay?” Percy asked, suddenly looking unsure.  
Nico couldn’t have spoken if he wanted to, so he pushed forward to kiss Percy again, but it was softer, sweeter.  
“Yes, you idiot,” he finally managed to say.  
Percy smiled, and Nico wanted to kiss the dimple in his right cheek.  
I can do that now, he thought giddily.  
“Wanna go out with me? I’ll take you somewhere nice, nicer than sitting on the ground in a vineyard,” Percy promised.  
“I dunno, those grapevines made for pretty romantic scenery,” Nico said, fighting his smile, but losing.  
This was probably going to be the best year yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp,,, y'know  
> yes this last one is super short but I'm not about to drag it out too much. Hope y'all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. who knows, maybe I'll write another one.
> 
> i take requests on my Tumblr librarian-alexandria if you have anything you would like me to write next!


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